BBC campaign collecting hygiene items for those in need

The campaign runs throughout the whole of January

A BBC campaign is helping charities and community groups by giving them donated toiletries and cleaning products so they can be redistributed to those most in need.

The BBC Radio Solent Soapbox Appeal is collecting those items at 70 drop-off points in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight across January.

Donations can include new and unopened toiletries and other cleaning products including washing up liquid, sponges, cloths and tissues.

A founder of a community interest company (CIC) that will receive some of the donated items said some are struggling with "crippling" need.

Councillor Hannah Hobbs-Chell helped set up the Ferndown Community Support CIC in Dorset

"When you're in poverty and can't afford food, quite often there are an awful lot of knock-on things that you can't afford or are struggling with," Dorset councillor Hannah Hobbs-Chell, one of the founders of the Ferndown Community Support CIC in Dorset, said.

"People are going to the supermarket and choosing between food and hygiene items," she added.

Toilet rolls, amongst other items, are being accepted at the 70 donation points

Mandy Buxey from Paulsgrove Bathroom Bank helped set up the group in November 2023 and a year later it had given away 5,400 items.

It too will receive donations and usually helps about 18 families a week.

She said: "We do have a local foodbank up here and a pantry but there's nothing for toiletries and that's how the conversation started. 'Wouldn't it be great if we could do something about this?'"

While most of its donations go to people from Paulsgrove, the group never turns anyone away if they are in need.

Helen Morton, from the HIVE Portsmouth group, said the cost of living crisis is "very much ongoing" for some people.

"We are finding that people are having to make difficult decisions about where they're spending their money in terms of heating a home or buying food or buying these essential products," she said.

"A lot of people come to us wanting help with hygiene products and food and things like that are looking for help specifically for their children.

"In terms of your own self-respect, it's a basic human need to be clean and look after your family."

Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, the Isle of Wight Council's cabinet member for economy, regeneration, culture and leisure, said the campaign will have a big impact.

"This campaign is a vital step in supporting our community during these challenging times. Every donation, no matter how small, can make a significant difference in someone's life," she said.

For a list of the drop-off points across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Dorset, visit the BBC Radio Solent Make a Difference page here.